1. Field of the Invention
The invention refers to a transport hanger for dough portions, particularly for use in fermentation compartments or proofing chambers or the like, comprising a support means, particularly a vaulted plate, for the dough portions, the hanger being adapted to be suspended on a transport system, particularly on chains extending to both sides of the support means, for pivotal movement around a horizontal axis.
2. The Prior Art
It is known that dough portions must be subjected to a fermentation or rising process after weighing and kneading the dough portions and prior to introducing same into the baking oven. For automatically performing this process it is known to transport the dough portions through a fermentation compartment or proofing chamber on transport hangers being pivotally connected to endless chains for being swivelled around the horizontal axes. Such transport hangers and compartments or chambers through which they are transported, are well known for one skilled in the art and have been described in detail; for example in the U.S. patent specification No. 2,219,410 (Bradshaw) or in the Austrian patent specification No. 278,678 (Prohaska).
In most cases such hangers are provided with a troughlike support means for the dough portions, said support means being cladded with textile material, usually felt. The support means itself can be provided with holes for aerating the dough portions.
Removal of the dough portions from such hangers is effected either by means of guide drums along which the chains are moved, the hangers being guided such that the hangers are swivelled around their horizontal pivotal axes. Another way is to provide studs protruding into the travelling path of the hangers and thus swivelling the hangers such that the dough portions are thrown off the hangers. In both cases the dough portions, when they are thrown off the hangers and fall on a new support means, particularly a conveyor belt, are subjected to a certain stress, frequently on account of the dough portion slightly adhering to the textile cladding of the support means of the hangers and thus falling down from the hangers with some time lag, or on account of the dough portions having to fall down a considerable height and thus being deformed by the action of their own mass when arriving on the supporting surface receiving the dough portions. As a consequence, the pastry produced is frequently misshaped or has a reduced weight.